Counterbalance



Dec; 3 c. BERGQUIST 1,785,669

COUNTERBALAICE Filed April 23. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l 14 o o o O O O [NYE/V T 4 6.19; Ber-i 01? Dec. 16, 1930 c. H. BERGQUIST 1,785,669

COUNTERBALANC'E Filed April 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 by an Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. BERGQUIST, OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OI ONE-HALF '1'0 EMERY A. LOCKE, OI OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA COUNTEBBALANCE Application fled April 28,

This invention relates to counterbalances the counterbalance 'may be expeditiously conthe band wheel assemblies of pumping rigs for wells. I

As is known to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, the rotary motion of a band wheel and the associated shaft is employed to brin about the reciprocation of the sucker rod t rough the intervention of a walking beam and a crank and such connection between the band wheel shaft and the sucker rod is maintained as long as pumping is continued. Various expedients, such as a counterbalance on the wa king beam or on the band wheel shaft have been employed to offset the weight of the sucker rod and, of course, such expedients are employed only so long as the pumping operation continues. Now, should it become necessary to temporarily adapt the band wheel assembly to purposes other than pumping, as for example, the removal ofthe sucker rod, the counter.- weight, if the same is on the band wheel shaft, must be detached. V

The time required to remove the counter weight from the band wheel shaft and toreapply the same when it is desired to resume pumping addsgreatly to the period of shut down and the concurrent loss of production and thus, an important object of this invention will be found to provide means by Wl'llClL nectedto the band wheel shaft or detached therefrom to the end that the period of shut down of the well with the consequent loss of production is minimized A further and equally important ob ect of the invention is to provide a counterbalance in which the connection between the various sections thereof and between the counterbalance itself .and the shaft is such that the extreme rigidity necessary to withstand the strain incident to rotation of the band wheel shaft is attained without, at the same time, sacrificing the advantages of quick connection and disconnection as suggested aboveor the sectional construction by which the weight of the counterbalance may be varied to meet particular conditions. I 4

The invention forming the sub]ect of this 1929.. Serial No. 857,535.

application also aims to provide a counterbalance in which the weig ted portion thereof may be raised with wminimum of effort to an operative position directly beneath the attachmg member thereof or lowered from such operative position to rest on the derrick floor where it may remain while the band wheel assembly is being used for urposes other than pumping, it being note in this connection that the ease of raising and lowering the counterbalance is an important consideration because of the tremendous weight involved.

The invention will further be found to provide a counterbalance which may be applied to a conventional band wheel assembly without radical changes in the structure of the latter or departure from established production methods, both of which features are highly desirable to render the counterbalance acceptable to the industry.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following descri tion.

In t e accompanying drawings forming a part of this application. and in which like numerals are em loyedto designate like parts throughout t e same,

Figure 1 is an edge elevation of the. improved counterbalance in an operative sition on the shaft of a band-wheel assembly Figure 2 is a side elevation of counterbalance a lied,

Figure 3 is a s1 e elevation of the counterbalance, with the weighted portion at rest directly beneath the attaching portion of the same to allow of the operation of the band wheel assembly for purposes other than pumping, Figure 4 is a group perspective of the improved counterbalance,

Figure 5 is a group perspective illustrating a slight modification of the invention.

the improved.

Figure 6 is a perspective of a locking place embodied in the invention.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown several preferred.

the derrick floor and are suitably braced as indicated at 14. As shown in Figure 1, the upper portions of the jack posts 10 and 12 carry sectional bearings 16 and 18 throu h which the band wheel shaft 20 is rotatab y extended. One end of theshaft 20 is provided with the usual crank 22 to which the link 24 for rocking the walking beam, not shown, is pivotally connected.

Figure 1 illustrates that a band wheel 26 of conventional or other design is mounted on the shaft 20 between the bearings 16 and 18 and that a counterbalance is mounted on the end of the shaft remote from the crank 22. The arrangement of the counterbalance on the end of the shaft opposite the crank 22 provides a balanced structure and relieves the equipment, especially the bearings 16 and 18 of excessive strain.

The improved counterbalance com rises a weighted body 28 formed from, a p urality of sections 30, the outermost one of which is extended beyond the edges or ends of the contiguous section and is formed with sockets 32 within which the rods or hangers 34 are pivoted as indicated at 36. Of course, the pivot pins preferably extend entirely through the outermost section 30 and the sockets 32 therein and allow the hangers or tie rods 34 to be positioned parallel to the counterbalances as suggested in Figure 12 or in the inoperative positions illustrated in Figure 3. In connection with the hangers 34 as shown in Figure 3 it might be noted that the bottom walls of the sockets 32 are curved upward and constitute stops by which cutward or downward pivotal movement of the hangers is limited so that when it is desired to swing the hangers inward to vertical position for the purpose of connecting the counterbalance to the band wheel shaft little loss of time will result.

Between each of the sections 30 and between the innermost section and the attaching member or block 38 there is a close interlocking connection defined by tongues 40 and recesses 42. It will be seen that the closely interfitting members 40 and 42 are in the opposed faces of the sections 30 and the attaching block 38 and since such members'40 terminate short of the ends of the sections and are located between the sides thereof, the shifting of the various sections with respect to each other and with respect to the attachingblock 38 is inhibited. That is to say, the closely interfitting connections 40-42 between the various'sections 30 and between the innermost section and the block 38 is such that shifting of the sections laterall? and endwise is positively prevented.

Adverting now to the particular means by which the weighted portion 28 of the counterbala-nce .is detachably connected to the band wheel shaft, it is first pointedout that the attaching block 38 is keyed orotherwise.

secured on the band wheel shaft in a relat1vely permanent manner and slnce thlS' connection is intended to be permanent extreme rigidity may be provided to avoid subsequent Tne attaching block 38 is provided with grooves or recesses 46 opening out throu h the ends and the upper and lower edges of t e block to receive the hangers 34 as suggested in Figure 2. If desired, a yoke or cap plate 48 may be positioned on the top of the block 38 with the openings therein receiving the han ers 34 so thatthe accidental removal of t e hangers from the grooves 46 when the counterbalance is in operation is avoided.

For the initial installation of the improved counterbalance, the attaching block is secured rigidly 20 and the weighted portion 28 of the counterbalance is then positioned on the derrick floor directly beneath the block so that by swinging the hanger 34 up into the grooves 46 and advancing the fastening nuts 50 on the hangers, the weighted portion of the counterbalance is raised from the derrick floor .to the operative position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The tightening of the nuts 50 will bring the various sections 30 into firm pres sure engagement with each other and at the same time will brin the weighted portion 28 of the counterba ance into pressure engagement with the block 38 so that the extreme rigidity necessary'to combat the centrifugal force incident to the operation of the band wheel is attained.

In further alluding to this important feature of the invention, it is pointed out that.

the weight of the reciprocating e u'ipment,

especially on the down strokes o the latter and should it be desired to adapt the band wheel assembl to. purposes other than pump- 1ng, such as t 1e removal of the tubing, it is a simple matter to remove the counterbalance from the band wheel shaft by turning the band wheel to position the body 28 below the block 38 and then backing up the fastening devices 50 to lower the body 28 to the derrick fioor as suggested in Figure 3. After this, the hangers 34 may be swung out to the lnoperative positions thereof. During the use of the band wheel assembly for purposes other than pumping, the counterbalance remains at rest on the derrick floor sufliciently below the block 38 to allow of the free turnin of the latter.

When it is desired to resume pumping, it is merely necessary to swing the hangers 34 u from the position suggested in Figure 2 a ar which the nuts am advanced to raise the weighted portion .28 into firm and rigid engagement with the block 38. It is important to observe. that the hangers 34 are sufliciently-long to raise the weighted body 28 up from the derrick floor or to lower the same without resorting to the use of extraneous hoisting devices, and since, in a well of a depth of 4200 feet a counterbalance of a proximately 3700 pounds is required, t e .ease with which the counterbalance ma raised and lowered will be found to a consideration of major importance. Of course, the'exact weight required is determined by the load to be counterbalanced, and the sectional formation of the body 28 makes it a simple matter to provide this.

In the form of invention illustrated 'in Figure '5, the weighted body is designated by the numeral and comprises'a pluralit of sections 62, the outermost" one of whic has the terminal portionsthereof extended beyond the edges of the contiguous section and formed with sockets 64 within which the arms or hangers 66 are pivoted. In this form of invention, the hangers 66 may be swung into the registering grooves 68 and 70 in the ends of the section 62 and the attach ing block 7 4 respectively, to cooperate with the interfitting connection 7 6-78 inholding the sections againstshifting with respect to each other and with respect to the attaching block 74. The member 76 maybe in the nature of a raised cross or rib adapted to be snugly received in a similarly sha ed groove 78 in the coating member so t at shifting of the parts both laterally and end- ,wise is inhibited. The construction illustrated in Figure 5 might otherwise be the same as what is shown in Figure 4 although, the foregoing illustrates that the invention forming the subject of this application is capable of a variety of mechanical expressions and it is to be understood that such minor changes in arrangement and constructlon of parts may be made as will remain within what is claimed.

the spirit of the invention and the scope of Having'thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

, 1..In a counterbalance for use 1n connection with band wheel shafts, a body having a plurality of separate interfitting sections one of which is extended at opposite ends thereof beyond the contiguous section, hangers ivoted to said extensions, an attaching bloc having means to which said hangers may be connected, and fastening devices associated with said hangers to secure the sections ,of said body firmly together and to said attaching block.

a 2. In a counterbalance for use in connection with band wheel shafts, a body havin a plurality of interfitting sections, one 0 which is extended at spaced points beyond .v

the contiguous section, hangers pivoted to said'extensions, an attaching block having means to which said hangers may be connected, and fastening devices assoclated with said hangers to hold the sections of said body firmly together and to said attaching block, said fastening devices and said hangers constituting a means to raise the body from a position at rest below said block into operative relation to'said block. be

3. In a counterbalancefor use in connection with band wheel shafts, a weighted body comprising a plurality of sections, hangers at o posite en s of said sections and pivoted to t e body, and an attachin block having means whereby the same mayqn secured in a relatively permanent manner to a band wheel shaft and being provided with hanger receiving means, sald hangers being provided with stening devices to raise said body from a osition at rest into pressure engagement w1th the attaching block.

4. In a counterbalance for use inconnection with band wheel shafts, a weighted body comprising a plurality of sections, ha: ers pivoted to the body, and an attaching b ock having means whereby the same may be secured in a relatively ermanent manner to a band wheel shaft an being provided with hanger receiving means, said hangers being provided with fasteningdevices to raise said body from a osition at rest int'o ressure engagement wlth the attaching bloc there being an interfitting connection between said attaching block an the adjacent section of the body.

-5. In a counterbalance for use in connection with band wheel shafts, a body havinga plurality ofsections, hangers pivoted to theoutermost section and having fastening devices, and an attaching block having means whereby the same may be secured to a band wheel shaft and being provided with grooves I devices to raise said body from a position at rest into pressure engagement with the attaching block, there being a direct interfitting connection between said attaching block and the adiacent section of the bodv.

v plurality of sections, the outermost one of which is provided with extensions, hangers connected to said extensions and adapted to be positioned at opposite sides of said sections, and an attaching block having grooves opening out through the ends thereof to detachably receive said hangers, there being direct interfitting connections between the attaching block and one of the sections and between the sections themselves whereby the sections are held against shifting with respect to each other and with respect to the block, said hangers having means associated therewith for securing the hangers to the attaching block.

8. In a counterbalance for use in connection with band wheel shafts, a body comprising a plurality of sections, the outermost one of which is provided with extensions, hangers connected to said extensions and positioned at opposite sides of said sections, an attaching block having grooves opening out through the ends thereof to detachably receive said hangers, there being direct interfitting connections between the attaching block and one of the sections and between the sections themselves whereby the sections are held against shifting with respect to each other and with respect to the block, and means to detachably hold said hangers in said grooves and to conmet the hangers to said attaching block.

9. In a counterbalance for the shaft of a band wheel, an attaching block having means whereby the same may be rigidly and directly secured to the shaft of a band wheel, a body of elongated formation, and hangers having means for securing the body in pressure engagement with theattaching member mounted on said shaft, said body consisting of a plurality ofsections confined between said hangers and having mutually interlocking means.

' 10. In a counterbalance for the shaft of a band wheel, an attaching block having means whereby the same may be rigidly and directly secured to the shaft of a band wheel, a body rality' of sections confined between said hangersand'having mutually interlookin means, there being an interfitting connection tween said attaching block and the adj acentsection of the body, said block being provided with grooves opening out through opposite sides thereof and receiving said hangers.

l2. In a counterbalance for the shaft of a band wheel, an attaching block having means whereb the same'may be attached to a band wheel s aft, a weighted body, hangers pivoted to the body and having means to secure one end of said body in pressure engagement with one surface of said attaching block, said body consisting of a plurality of sections confined between said hangers.

13. In a counterbalance for the shaft of a band wheel, anattaching block having means whereby the same may be attached to a band wheel shaft, a weighted body, hangers pivoted to. the body and having means to secure one end of 831d body in pressure engagement with one surface of said attaching block, said body consisting of a plurality of sections confined between said hangers and having means cooperating with the hangers in securing the sections-against shifting with respect to each other. 1 v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H. BERGQUIST.

of elongated formation, and hangers having meansbfor securing the body in pressure engagement with the attaching member mount-' ed on said shaft, said body consisting of a plu- 

